Minds-on “New Literacies Definition and Components

Which ideas from the video reflect what the ELA teachers you interviewed are currently doing to integrate technology with their literacy instruction?

The teacher I interviewed a couple of teachers from New Windsor School.  The first teacher, Heather, is a reading specialist. Although Heather is currently using some types of technology in her program, I do not think it is enough to be considered part of the new illiteracies.  She uses the smartboard with her lessons but she admits to not integrating technology they way she wish she could.  She says that she spends a large portion of her days DIBELING students, or teaching other teachers to DIBEL or do Running Records. 

The second teacher I interviewed is named Michelle and she is a third grade inclusion teacher. She has two computers in her classroom but has access to the computer lab.  She does some research projects that involve “Internet Scavenger Hunts”.  They are given a list of websites and options are told to locate information to help answer the teacher created questions.  The students have to research their project and then create a presentation using PowerPoint to communicate their findings.

How can you help change their instructional practices to include the use of technology and the Internet in their literacy and content-area curriculum?

I can help giving them my link to my delicious bookmark and then show them some of great tools I have stored there.  I can also show them how to create a blog and encourage them to use it.  I can work with them to incorporate digital storytelling within their blog.  

What professional development and/or resources will they need in order to make these changes?

They would need to be trained on how to create a digital story while incorporating different types media styles within, for example, how to insert pictures, videos and voice threads.

What ideas do you have for grouping students so they will have equal access to technology in the classroom?

I would like to create small groups and have them rotate through stations or learning centers.  As teachers, it is important for us to differentiate our instruction and what better way then through stations.  Another idea would be to create teams of students with different strong points. They can work off each other and contribute their strengths to the group work.

Theory in Practice

Students are completely surrounded by digital media; therefore they need to become digitally literate.  Traditional means of literacy still plays an important role in education, however, we need to evolve our methods and teach our students to become literate with digital and media technologies as well.   With the new illiteracies, more and more teachers are incorporating tools such as laptops, smart boards, email, blogs, wikis, podcasts ands e-books to help students to become digitally literate.  

Interview with ELA teacher

I interviewed  Heather Todisco and she is a reading teacher at New Winsdor Elementary School.  She pulls kids out for small group instruction.  She has a smartboard in her room and has access to laptops.  According to Heather, she tries to incorporate technology in her program as often as possible.  She uses the smartboard almost everyday.  When asked about her challenges she faces when integrating technology, Heather said that hates when she relies too much of technology and the technology fails. Heather also takes the students to the computer lab often to post on blogs and play ELA games.  

Technology tool that can best assist each of the Five components of ELA

The technology I choose that can assist teachers to meet the five components of ELA is Digital Storytelling.  Students can create stories using computer-based tools.  Teachers can assign projects based on students’ research of a particular subject.  Assignments can range from personal experiences to the recounting of historical events. 

Skills that can be covered by creating digital stories:

• Research (reading and listening)
• Story Construction (writing & Language)
• Sequence and Summarize (writing)
• Edit and Proofread (writing and reading)
• Use of descriptive words (language)
• Use of words to create imagery (language)
• Speaking with clear expression and enunciation (speaking and language)
• Learn projecting and phrasing (speaking)
• Communicate ideas (speaking)

Digital stories can be created with basically any program where photo and/or movies can be edited and have sound and music added.  Here is a great teaching guide from Microsoft: http://www.microsoft.com/education/en-us/teachers/guides/Pages/digital_storytelling.aspx

Reflection on my understanding of ELA instruction

With the new Common Core state standards initiative, the goal is to prepare students for college and for the workforce.  The instruction of ELA is not only the responsibility of the ELA teacher but it also lies on all the subject teachers within a school. 

It is my understanding that the push, for elementary students, is to further develop their skill levels with informational text throughout different subject areas.  The upper grades need much more attention focused on a specific content of informational text, literacy non-fiction.  Since the students will be studying literature in the ELA classroom, the other subjects must develop those skills.

There are five different components to ELA standards for instruction.  They are reading, writing, speaking, listening and language. 

The reading component focuses on comprehension and application. Students must be able to understand what they read and be able to synthesize thoughts from what they have read.

The second component is writing. Students must have the ability to plan, revise, edit and publish.

The third and fourth components are Speaking and Listening.  Students need to be able to develop their interpersonal skills and be able to express themselves clearly and concisely. 

Language is the final component and is about use and development of vocabulary.